SouthWest Transit’s newest park-and-ride, East Creek Station, officially opened for service on Sept. 23, providing express service to downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.
Two days earlier the public was invited to celebrate the new facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony, hot dogs, roasted corn and beverages, music, a car show and various vendors.
Located in Chaska, East Creek Station has 675 stalls. The station/passenger waiting area is climate controlled, with vending machines and TV monitors for customer viewing as well as for disseminating up to date information. The station is equipped with Wi-Fi and a state of the art security system.
The ramp and station are ecofriendly. A number of energy saving measures have been included in the construction most notably the LED lighting. The station will be staffed one day per week for customers to purchase and/or re-load their Go-To Card.
A heated platform in the passenger boarding area will help avoid ice and snow packed surfaces during the winter months.
SouthWest has partnered with the city of Chaska and the station and ramp will be identified and used as a trail head for access onto the many local bike and hiking trails. As a trail head, a biker and/or hiker can park their auto and will have access to restrooms and shelter in the event of an unexpected storm.
